American young artist Madylin Sweeten is probably most famous for playing the eldest daughter, Ally Barone, on the Ray Romano sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond” (CBS, 1996-2005), from which she took home a 1998 Young Artist Awards and a 2003 Screen Actors Guild Award. Ray Romano stated in an interview, “It's really been fun watching Madylin Sweeten grow into a fine young actress. She's the same age as my daughter, and they've become close friends. I think it's because Madylin's just as sweet in real life as she is on the show.”

In addition to her role in “Everybody Loves Raymond,” Sweeten has acted in such films as “A Promise to Carolyn” (1996, TV), “The Christmas Path” (1998), “A Dog of Flanders” (1999), “Ask Me No Questions” (2001, TV) and the Sundance-screened “American Splendor” (2003). One of the voice-over actors in “Toy Story 2” (1999), the 17-year-old Sweeten will play Becky on D.J. Caruso's thriller “Eagle Eye” (2008).

Apart from acting, Sweeten develops a passion for music. She plays the guitar and singing.

Mady

Childhood and Family:

Madylin Anne Michele Sweeten was born on June 27, 1991, in Brownwood, Texas. She is the eldest of four children born to Timothy Lynn Sweeten and Elizabeth Anne Millsap. Other than her twin acting brothers, Sawyer and Sullivan (born on May 12, 1995), she has a little sister named Maysa. Mady, as she is known by family and close friends, was educated at the Kay Scott School of Performing Arts in San Saba, Texas.

Eagle Eye

Career:

A year after attending Texas' Kay Scott School of Performing Arts, the four-year-old Madylin Sweeten made her television movie debut by playing young Debra on the Jerry London-directed crime/drama drama “A Promise to Carolyn” (1996). She went on to appear in a number commercials in Dallas before finally receiving her breakout role on the CBS new comedy series “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

Starring Ray Romano in the title role of boffo sports writer Raymond “Ray” Barone, “Everybody Loves Raymond” was premiered on September 13, 1996 and was a success with both audiences and critics alike. Throughout its nine seasons run (from 1996 to 2005), the show won seven consecutive ASCAP awards for Top TV Series from 2000 to 2006, two Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series (2003, 2005) and several other honors. As for Sweeten, who portrayed eldest daughter Ally Barone, she was handed a 1998 Young Artist for Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series - Young Actress Age Ten or Under and co-won a 2003 Screen Actors Guild for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. She also received two YoungStar nominations in the category of Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series (1998, 1999). Sweeten's twin brothers, Sullivan and Sawyer, also appeared with her on the show as her twin brothers, Michael and Geoffrey Barone, respectively.

While gaining ground on television, Sweeten has also tried her luck on feature films. Making her debut in “The Christmas Path” (1998), opposite Dee Wallace, Shia LaBeouf and John Borkowski, she next could be seen in Kevin Brodie's “A Dog of Flanders” (1999), a family/drama starring Jack Warden, and lent her vocals for the Pixar animated movie “Toy Story 2” (also 1999), which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song. After a performance in the television film “Ask Me No Questions” (2001), which was directed and penned by Mary-Ann Anderson, Sweeten had her next big screen outing with “A merican Splendor” (2003), a critically acclaimed biopic that became the winner of the 2003 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize. There she portrayed the role of Danielle.

In 2008, three years after the demise of “Everybody Loves Raymond” and five years since her last film project in “American Splendor,” Sweeten will greet her fans in a performance along side Michelle Monaghan, Shia LaBeouf, Billy Bob Thornton and Eric Christian Olsen in the film “Eagle Eye.” The upcoming drama/thriller is directed by D.J. Caruso and co-scripted by Eli Attie, John Glenn, Dan McDermott and others.